Willie Restum And Schtick Come To Town

Allentown's irrepressible native jazzman was in town recently to visit old friends and update us on his activities.

When Willie walks into the newsroom, serious work stops. Restum has the ability to draw all eyes and ears toward him. What's his trick? The kibitz. More than just having the gift of gab, Restum is a master of the needle, wittyaside and quick rejoinder.

Willie is entertaining. That's why they all came to see him at the Dream Lounge at 71st and Collins in Miami Beach. The list of celebs included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Danny Thomas. They still stop to hear Restum at Lefty Muldoon's when they're in Palm Springs.

A resident of Los Angeles, Restum drives to the desert each weekend. He'll note his second anniversary at Muldoon's on Memorial Day. Muldoon's, located in the Ocotillo Lodge, is owned by former Allentonian Joe Hanna.

Here's what else is happening for Willie:

- Release of "The World of Willie Restum" album. Although a single, "Sermonette," was released in 1964, the LP was not, according to Restum who obtained ownership of the master from Columbia. Plans are to sell the album on TV. In addition to Restum on sax, the album features Don Coffman, bass; Joe Gallivan, drums, and Don Vincent, piano. The latter has been Wayne Newton's arranger and conductor for the past 18 years. Restum says the LP contains his "happy jazz" style of music.

- Publication of "They All Came to See Me," a photographic retrospective about Restum, focusing on the Dream Lounge.

- Recording of a new LP with his nephew Dean Restum, New York guitarist and studio engineer, to be titled "Unk and Punk."

Restum came to prominence in the Lehigh Valley while at Muhlenberg College. He played at various area jazz venues including Jazz Max's where, Restum recalls, Lee Iacocca stopped by to hear him perform.

After going solo, Restum recorded several singles, including "Willie Restum at the Dream Lounge" for Roulette; "Restum in Peace Blues," and "Rock A Beatin' Boogie" and "Honkin' " (an EP), for Capitol; "Hello, I Love You, Goodbye," from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," both for Columbia, and an album, "Chitty,Chitty, Bang, Bang" for Audio Fidelity.

"In those days, I used to get a lot of airplay from the disc jockeys who came down to Miami Beach to see me."

Ironically, Restum's combination of rhythm and blues and jazz is back on the pop music charts. David Lee Roth, leader singer for the hard rock group Van Halen, released "Just A Gigolo," a Louie Prima song long in Restum's repertoire. The song is No. 25 on this week's Billboard's Top Rock Tracks.

"They're good tunes," says Restum. "That's been true for over 30 years. Like they say, 'It comes around.' It really comes around."

While in town, Restum, 55, visited his mother Mary in East Allentown, brother George at the Allen Theatre, Ray Holland at the Allentown Plaza (to inspect the "Happy Jazzman" portrait of himself in the lounge), Kerm Gregory at WAEB, Eugene DeFiore's, Eskimo's Gym ("I had to park my cigar outside."), Tommy Heinz at Titlow's, Sandy Morgan at S.M. Brown's, Yocco's, the Brass Rail and Schantz's ("for ring bologna"). And it was "once down the Mall and a waltz through Hess's."